de witt



'3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

l(No Model.)`

C. C. DE WITT. COMBINED GANG PLANK AND GONVBYER.

Patented Aprrlfll, 1896.

(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 2.

C. C.' DE WITT. l COMBINED GANG PLANK AND GONVEYER. No. 558,361. Patented Apr. 14, 1,896l

ANDREW EGRAMAMAPNDT-UNUNMSNINGTDKDL (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

C. C. DE WITT. COMBINED GANG PLANK AND GONVEYER.

No. 558,361. PatentedApr. 14, 1896.4

ANDREW B GRANAMA FHOTO'UTHQWASMIHUTUN. D C

- of Fig. s.

UNITED STATES CLINTON C.. DE IVITT, OF ST. LOUIS,

PATENT OFFICE.

MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JOHN C. SHANK, OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,361, dated April 14, 1896.

Application filed October 21, 1895.

T all whom, t may concern:

Beit known that I, CLINTON C. DE WITT, of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Gang-Plank and Conveyer, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relatesto a combined gangplank and conveyer; and it consists in the novel construction,co1nbination,and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my combined gang-plank and conveyer, the same being applied for practical use. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the gangplank, parts thereof being broken away to more clearly illustrate the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken apf proximately on the indicated line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken approximately on the indicated line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken approximately on the indicated line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. G is an enlarged sectional view taken approximately on the indicated line 6 G Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of an inclined walk made use of in carrying out iny invention.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates the deck of avessel, from which deck rises at the proper position a mast 2, in the top end of which is arranged for rotation a groovedmlheel or pulley 3. A boom 4 is arranged to operateupon said mast in the usual manner, said boin` being provided on its outer end with a grooved wheel or pulley 5.

Bolted to the deck 1 at a point adjacent the mast 2 and the rail of lthe vessel is a bed-plate (5, the same being provided with a center bearing 7 and with concentric segmental tracks 8 on its top surface. Formed in said bed-plate are slots 9, the purpose ofwhich will be presently shown.

10 indicates a plate, the same being provided with a center bearing 11, that rests directly upon the center bearing 7, there being a bolt 12 passed through said bearings 11 and Serial No. 566,359. (No model.)

7. Depending from lthe under side of the plate 10 are parallel bearings 13, in which are j ournaled for rotation wheels 14, the same bearing directly upon the tracks 8. Arranged upon opposite sides of the plate 10 are engines 15 of any suitable design, there being a single crankshaft 16 for said engines. Fixed upon said crank-shaft adjacent each one of said engines is a gear-wheel 17.

Extending upwardly from the plate 10 on opposite sides thereof are frames 18, the upper ends of which are formed into journalboxes 19, and in said boxes is mounted for rotation a shaft 20. Suitable journal-boxes 21 are arranged upon said shaft 2O and extend upwardly and are bolted to timbers 22, the same extending parallel with each other over and above the rail of the vessel. Located upon the top surfaces and outer edges of said timbers 22 are smaller timbers 23, and extending outwardly from said timbers 23 are supporting-beams 24, that are supported by braces 25, and located upon said beams 24 and extending parallel with the timbers 22 are planks 26, the saine being arranged to form walks. Extending upwardly from the side of these planks 26 are supporting-rods 27, the upper ends of which are provided with rings 28, thro-ugh which are passed rails or ropes A29.

Fixed to the inner faces of the timbers 22 and connecting the same are timbers 30, the same being somewhat shorter than are said timbers 22.

Located upon the outer ends of the shaft are drums 3l, on which may be Wound ropes or cables, as desired, andfixed upon said shaft adjacent each of the frames 18 are gear-wheels 32, the same meshing with the gear-wheels 17 previously mentioned.

Fixed upon the shaft 20 inside the frames 18 are sprocket-wheels 33. Loosely mounted upon the shaft 20, just inside each of the boxes 21, is a sprocket-wheel 34, the tops of which extend into a plane just above the tops of the timbers 22, and the inner faces of the hubs of said sprocketwheels 34 are formed into clutch-faces 35. Formed upon the center of the shaft 20,between these two sprocketwheels 34, is a feather 36, and arranged to slide upon the thus-feathered portion of said IOO shaft 2O are collars 37, the outer portions of which are formed into clutch-faces 3S, that are arranged to oppose the clutch-faces 335. [formed in these collars 37 are peripheral grooves Il, in which grooves are arranged colla rs At-U,the same beingprovided with downwardly-peiuling portions -l-l, that carry antil`riction-rollers l2.

ltxtendin transversely between the frames IS is a bar til, from the center of which exlends upwardly a pin lv-i, the same having a disk pivoied upon its upper end, in which disk are formed oppositely-arranged segmental slots lo, in which slots the antifriction-rollers t2 operate. Formed integra-l with and extend ing outwardly from the disk is an operating-handle i7.

.lournaled in suitable bearings t9, fixed to the under side and outer ends of the planks 2li, a sha-ft if), the same carrying a pair of l' rames 5( l, the lower ends of which are formed into feet. said frames are sprocket-wheels 5l, and sprocket-chains pass over the sprocketwheels 5l and the s] n'oeketwheels 33 previously mentioned. Fixed upon said shaft Al), j ust inside the timbers 22, are sprocket-wheels 523, and sprocketchains 5l pass around and connect said sprocket-wheels 53 with the sprocket-wheels il previously mentioned. Passing transversely between said sprocketchains 5,1; and fixed Yin the lengths thereof at equal distances apart are rods 55, which carry blocks 51.3, the upper ends of the upper ones of which travel in a plane above the plane occupied by the tops of the planks 2e.

57 indicates an inclined timber provided with cleats 5R, and extending laterally from the upper end of said inclined timber are metallic bars 50, the ends of which are formed into hooks G0, that are engaged around the shaf t l l5 when said timber 57 is in proper position. A chain or cable, such as 61, passes over the grooved wheels 3 and and engages a chain (if, the lower ends of which are secured to hooks Gli, fastened to the sides of the planks 2U. Flexible connections, such as Gat, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3,) extend 'upwardly through the slots fl to the steam-chests of the engines l5.

Assuming that the gang-plank is in an elerated position and the boat is landing and it is desired to lower said gang-plank into the position where the passengers and freight can be Landed, the windlass or drum on which the chain (32 is wound is rotated so that said chain (i2 will unwind, and by so doing the entire gangwplank will lower, as indicated by dotted lines Vin liig. l, to an approximately horizontal position, or until the feet of the frames 5U will be located 'upon the landing'. .llle passengers from and to the vessel may 'non' pass over the gang-plank, those landing from said vessel passing upon one side of said gang-plank and those entering said vessel passing along the opposite side of said gangplank. lt it is desired to transfer a number Fixed upon saidshaft i9 adjacent of packages or bales of freight from the vessel to the landing, the attendants place the inclined timber 57 in proper position and roll or pass the packages or bundles of freight up said timber and onto the sprocket-chains 31:3. The engines 15 are now started, so that said chains 33, carrying the blocks 5U, move in the direction as `indicated by the arrow A, Fig. 2, and as fast as the bundles or packages are located upon said chainf they will be moved by said chain and blocks to the outer end of. the gang-plank and upon thelanding. Rotary motion from the crank-shaft 1G is imparted to the shaft 2O by reason of the gear-wheels 17 meshing with the gear-wheels 32, and the rotary motion of said shaft 2O is imparted to the sprocket-wheels Set as soon as the disk l5 has been moved in the direction indicated by the arrow B, Fig. 4, which necessarily throws the collars 37, carrying the clutch-faces, into the clutch-faces on the hubs 35 of said sprocket-wheels Set. The motion of the sprocket-chains 5ft maybe reversed if desired, and by so doing the freight from the landing can be conveyed onto the boat. After the passengers and freight have been transferred to and from the boat the windlass or drum on which the chain Gl is wound is rotated and the gan g-plank is raised into an elevated and. out-of-t-he-way position. lV hen the clutchfaces 3S are thrown out of engagement with. the clutch-faces 35, the engines maybe open ated and the shaft 2O rotated to wind the cables or chains upon the drums 3l and not operate the sprocket-chains 54. '3y thus pro viding the drums 31 on the end of the shaft 2O I do away with the eapstan ordinarily used .on vessels and the engine for operating the same.

The sprocket-chains 52 are for the purpose of relieving the sprocket-chains 5l olf the strain required to rotate the shaft lif). The entire gang-plan k can be swunglaterally as desired, this being possible by simply pivoting the plate 10, mounting the same on the wheels 1.4-, and when. said gang-plank is so swung the flexible connections Gl to the engines will readily pass through the curved' slots or apertures 9 in the bed-plate (i.

A combined gang-plank and conveyer of my construction possesses superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability and general eliieiency, can be operated very econ omieally in point of power, greatly facilitates the handling of bundles of freight to and from a vessel, freight and passengers can be taken on the vessel simultaneously, a capstan and engine for operating the same dene away with by locating the drums on the ends of the main shaft of said gang-plank, and much time and labor are saved by the 'use ot said conveyer and gan g-plank.

I Claiml. In a combined gan g-plank and co1 iveyer, a bed-plate located upon the deck of a vessel, a plate arranged to rotate upon said bedplate, bearings arranged upon said rotating IOO IlO

IBO

plate, a shaft mounted for rotation in said bearings, a gang-plank constructed in tWo sections extending laterally from said shaft, an endless carrier operatin g between said mating portions and driven from said shaft, drums arranged upon the ends of said shaft, and suitable means arranged upon the rotating plate for driving said shaft.

2. In a combined gang-plank and eonveyer, a bed-plate, a plate arranged to rotate upon said bed-plate, bearings arranged upon said rotating plate, a shaft mounted for rotation in said bearings, drums located upon the ends of said shaft, means carried by the rotating plate for operating said shaft, a gang-plank constructed in tWo parallel sections swung 

